Little
Ages 3–5
Very thick lines and a few big areas. Easy for small hands.
Hyena Coloring Pages
The spotted hyena has a back that slopes down from tall shoulders to low hips, round ears, a short dark muzzle and a coat covered in spots. Our hyena is a friendly, curious one, not a cartoon villain. Children aged 3 to 5 can color the little page with very thick lines, the kids page for ages 6 to 8 adds a sunny meadow, and the detailed page for ages 9 to 12 puts the hyena in a savanna with hills and an acacia tree.
Choose a level and print
The same drawing in three levels. Print it from the page or download a PDF.
Kids
Ages 6–8
Thick lines and a simple background to color.
Detailed
Ages 9–12
Finer lines, more areas and patterns for older children.
Color online
Choose a color, then tap an area of the picture to fill it. When you are happy, save it as an image or print it.
Coloring online needs JavaScript. You can still print the pages above.
Real colors to try
These are the natural colors of this animal. Use them, or pick your own.
- sandy tan
- dark brown spots
- dark muzzle
- dusty brown
- pale belly
- savanna gold
Hyena facts for kids
- Spotted hyenas live in Africa, on grassy plains and in open woodland.
- Hyenas live in family groups called clans, and a female leads the group.
- The spotted hyena makes a call that sounds like giggling, which is why it is sometimes called the laughing hyena.
- Hyena cubs are born with dark, almost black fur, and their spots appear as they grow.
- A hyena has very strong jaws and can eat bones that other animals leave behind.
How to use this coloring page
- Little level: color the whole body sandy tan first, then press hard with a dark brown crayon to make the round spots.
- Kids level: a light tan coat, dark brown spots and a dark muzzle are enough. Leave the eye white with a dark dot.
- Detailed level: color the spots before the coat so they stay crisp, then fill the gaps around them with a lighter tan.
- In class, show the sloping back and ask children which legs are longer, the front or the back ones.
- Print at 100% on plain paper. Choose fit to page only if your printer cuts off the frame.
Pip's idea
Make it a night-time hyena: color the sky deep blue, add a big round moon and a few stars, and keep the hyena's spots dark against its golden coat.
Questions and answers
- Why does a hyena's back slope downward?
- A spotted hyena's front legs are longer than its back legs, so its shoulders sit higher than its hips. That slope is the easiest way to tell a hyena apart from a big cat.
- Is a hyena a kind of dog or cat?
- Neither. Hyenas look a bit like dogs, but they belong to their own animal family, which is more closely related to cats and mongooses.
- Which hyena page is right for a five-year-old?
- The little level, for ages 3 to 5. It has very thick outlines and a few big shapes, so the spots can be big dots of color added at the end.
